How To Interact With Guests and Taking orders: A Waiter's Guide

hi and welcome back to waiter there's more as usual you need information and we're here to help you you have requested a video on what to say and phrases to use for guest interactions in a fine dining restaurant we'll also cover upselling because that goes hand inhand with guest interactions you're basically always upselling and creating regular guests before we start please subscribe to the channel and leave a like on this video so we can help you even more so let's get right to it welcoming guests when guests arrive welcome the guests introduce yourself leave your title out of it and pay them a compliment anything that's regarding their outfit choice of colors or hairstyle for example this will break the ice and get a conversation going pull out the chairs take coats and don't forget to smile keep the conversation going how was your day if they're dressed fancy ask if they're going to the Opera later the more you talk to guests like this the better you'll become at making conversation without effort upselling starts before or during you hand out the menus the power of suggestion lies in the ability to shape perceptions create expectations and influence behavior without the individual being consciously aware of it just tell the guest your opinion about well paired food and wine and most of the time they'll just go with with your suggestion for example it's Friday night it's hot outside so you can say this good evening sir Madam I'm Julio nice to meet you how's your day so far I like your tan have you been to the beach pull out the chair for the ladies hand out the menus by the way Daniel in the bar he's an artist at making Mojitos would you like to start with one while you look at the menu did you notice the suggestion obviously you just change the script depending on the weather season if a bartender is working or not if the guests are wearing tuxedos suggest a dry martini like jokingly Mr Bond dry martini shaking not stirred I promise you they'll have a laugh and if not a dry martini they'll for sure have something else always address the guests with Mr or Ms and their last name it's usually written in the booking and if not just refer to them as Mr and Madame if it's a young lady you can call her Miss Madame is for married women only men are always called Sir no matter the age or their marital status I'm actually unsure what to say if your guests have different pronouns I live in Sweden so this is not yet the topic that is relevant here but uh I'd probably just catch the name when I introduce myself and if not I'd just say excuse me and or make eye contact and say what would you like for the main course so back to the script obviously sense the room if people seem to be in a bad mood at this point just keep the talk to a minimum when you take the orders suggest a starter by saying the GOI salad is our most popular dish and is often followed by the comit of duck now you suggested two things most of the time someone will go for your suggestion this sets you up for selling wine later on write down the order the person closest to the exit or entrance is always number one on your list if it's a woman I would typically encircle the number just so you know and you can inform your colleagues who ordered what and if I'm busy with another table my colleagues can out serve the food without have to ask ask the guests who had what suggesting and selling wine always offer two choices never the cheapest always a medium expensive option and an exclusive wine point at the wines on the menu clearly so that the guest can see the wine refer to the cheap one as a lighter all round type of wine that goes well with everything and the expensive one as a more full bodied heavier option this way whatever the host chooses he or she won't lose face in front of their guest and be embarrassed if the host picks another wine that you don't suggest just go with the flow and smile and say excellent choice the host just scored points with the guests and you are one step closer to better tips it's important to serve the drinks before the starters arrive you might need to deaner the wine depending on what type of wine it is if they order white wine or rosé be sure to bring an ice bucket with a stand to place next to the table show the host or the person who ordered the wine the bottle and introduce the wine with name and grape the name and grape just says on the bottle so before you take it out just read it read the label and then you go out and you're prepared once they approve verbally or with a nod proceed to opening the wine we have another tutorial regarding how to open and pour wine but just pour an ounce or a few centiliters in the glass so they can taste or smell the wine before pouring the wine for the rest of the table always pour for the ladies first by this point the Stardust will be ready because you were smart and wrote the order down with numbers you can remember who ordered what it's typically very crass to just shout out chicken who had the chicken no we know it exactly who has what and the guest won't be interrupted during their conversations while you put their plates down more points for you make eye contact with the host blink and Nod for a telepathic enjoy your food if they're having a conversation if you work in a restaurant that requires you to present the food then just stand in front of the table after all the guests have their plates in front of them they will notice you and direct their attention attention to you now it's your time to speak point with your whole hand while explaining a specific dish repeat for Mains and dessert and when you're done say Enjoy or bone Appetit or whatever it is in your native tongue when everyone's finished eating you may clear the table don't start clearing it while one person is still eating this is very rude you might be stressed about the next booking waiting by the door but I've got you on this don't worry if you have another area with sofas you can suggest that the guests have a change of scenery and tell them that you have prepared a complimentary drink for them in the next area comp one small drink with their dessert if you're really stressed out and don't have time and you can just glue like half a portion you can also tell the next table to hang out at the bar while you prepare the table and also Compass small cocktail for them without apologizing and let the first table remain seated until they're done for example please follow me pull out bar chairs or point to the sofa make eye contact with the host blink and Whisper this one's on the house excuse yourself by saying that you will go and prepare their table if those guests are sitting in a sofa area and they don't have a bartender to talk to just bring them a small generic cocktail for example a Cosmopolitan for ladies and an agroni for gentlemen make sure to talk to the bartender before the shift so that he's in on it if you're taking his stock comping drinks is needed because you can make the guest feel like VIP simply by using suggestive talk the bill check or wait for the guest to ask for the bill sometimes they will signal with this gesture from afar nod and blink he who asks for the bill shall have it if the person who asks for the bill is in the restroom then wait until he or she is back to the table never hand out the bill with just the paper always bring a small plate or a book that is used specifically for this purpose this is so the guest can put cash or card in there don't stand around and wait for the money once you see that the book is closed on the table usually they push the book away from them always bring back the change if it's cash if it's a card payment bring the machine to the guest and let the host follow the steps in the machine you may turn around when it's time to punch the code in so so ask not to stare at their pin code until the guest SS up don't bring them their coats or clear the table completely from the last glasses once they stand up bring the coats pull out the chairs and escort them to the exit and say thank you and have a great evening this sums it up for this episode and we hope that you found this video helpful and please leave a like subscribe and comment down below thank you see you next time

Channel: Waiter, There's more!

Views: 80,363

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Id: jVef6YBgPhc

Length: 9min 27sec (567 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 13 2023